The Present State OF ALGEIR: BEING A Faithful and True Account Of the most Considerable OCCURRENCES That happened in that Place, during the lying of the FRENCH FLEET before it.  
In a Letter from a Gentleman in Algiers, to his Friend in London.  
Worthy Sir,  
I Hope mine of the 6th, 11th, and 13th of july are safe Arrived to your hands; in Answer of your several then Received, to which please to refer yourself, since none of yours appear; Having some extraordinary Advice of News to impart to you, is the Occasion of this Trouble, which I shall be glad may prove grateful unto you.  
On the 2d. past Arrived the Bristol and Saphire Friggots, from Leghorn, (at the same time lying here about 50 Sail of French Frigates, Galleys and Attendants) one of our Boats being sent ashore, was not Admitted, but a Boat from hence sent to tell them that they should not come ashore because the French Fleet lay before the Port, and withal, Order given that the Consul should not be Admitted to go out of the Gates; but before the Order Arrived the Mould-gate, he happened to Run down, and coming to the head of the Mould beckoned to the Boat which was then Rowing off again, but knowing him, Returned, and when was within call he told them they should be gone and stand upon their Guard, for he was a Prisoner; the Lieutenant of one of the Ships being in one of the Boats, asked him whether he had any thing more to say, he Answered, No; whereupon he went a board, and the Ships stood off to Sea, the next day stood in again and sent both their boats in, but the Governor prevented their coming a shore by ordering three Guns to be fired at them, which was accordingly done, though at a distance, upon which they Returned aboard and the Ships went to Sea. The boat being the first day Refused coming a shore, the Consul, went to the King's House Requesting that if they would not suffer him to go a board alone, that they would send two or three Renegadoes with him, that could understand what he said, to avoid the suspicion of his giving any Advice to the French, but was denied; and after being demanded the Reason of his calling so to the Boat, he, answered them briskly, and being threatened what damage happened thereon should fall on his head, told them he would rather die then one poor English man should be brought in a Slave here, through his holding his Peace. The Reason of the above Disturbance (we know) was occasioned by our Governor Rabath Hassan his coming out of the Camp disgusted that the Peace with the English should have been made in his absence, and that he had not the Honour of doing it himself; though his pretence to the People was only that if he had been here he would have done it much more to their Advantage, adding withal, that the Doors of the King's house were shut, and that it was done without the Advice and Consent of the Soldiery, the meanest whereof ought to have had his Vote in the doing of it, insinuating himself thereby into their Favour (which is his Safeguard) and at once under the Pretence of propogating and promoting the Public Interest, and maintaining their Privileges, brings his designs about, by such indirect means promoting many times his own private Interest, and at the same time establishing himself in the Favour, and good Opinion of the People.  
On the 3d. past the French Galleys rowed the Ships in towards the Mould, the Admiral having two Galleys a head we were in great Expectation of some Action, but came all in the Evening to an Anchor again.  
On the 5th. the Galleys went away; on the 7th the Ships made all Sail, some within shot of the Mould, were Saluted by these People with a great many Shot.  
On the 11th Ditto a Catch played some Bombs upon the Mould, all of them falling short. On the 20th about nine a Clock at Night, the Ketches came near into the Mould, and continued firing Bombs till it was almost day, these People Returning Guns without ceasing, which I suppose were near 1000 The Bombs the French fired were above 100 which broke down 44 houses, and killed many People: Please by the way to Note, that the French have five Ketches with Bombs.  
On the 24th Ditto about eight a Clock at night appeared a blazing Star in the N. W. Ditto, a little after the French began to play with their Bombs upon the Town, when these People sent out a Galley to take one of the Ketches, but was Shamefully beaten off and forced to return with the loss of some Christians and Turks. This night were beaten down about six houses, and killed about 35 or 40 Persons; These People extremely cast down, seem to be inclined to a Mutiny against their Governor, whereupon he ordered Padre Vacher to go aboard the Admiral (with a Dutch man of Wars Boat, who now lies here to clear some of their Captives and is employed as an Ambassador between the Turk and Devil) to know their demands, though they pretended only to send the Admiral Word that if he fired one Gun more against the place he would send their chief Cavallero's, (that are Captives here) a board out of the Muzzles of their Guns. Multitudes of People daily Flocking out to the Gardens, for fear of the Bombs crying out with a General Voice, that the World must needs be now at an end, that never such things as these were seen, that they certainly were not of man's Invention, but sent by the Devil from Hell, and that Algiers is now Ruined with many such like Exclamations. Padre Vacher Returning a shore and to the King's House, gave them the Admiral's Answer, that if they would send a boat off to morrow with a Flag of Truce he would treat with them, and that he was sent hither about his Master's Business and would Prosecute it to the Destruction of the place: Padre Vacher also begs of the Admiral that he would not fire any Bombs that night for his sake, for fear they should take fantasy against him, impute the ill Consequence to his Advice, and so take Occasion to cut him off; to which the Admiral would not consent, saying, he would Willingly do any thing that lay in his Power for him, but that he could not promise.  
These People as formerly, are ready to mutiny, to see their houses broken down, and Friends and Relations killed before their eyes: impute all to the bad Government. The Governor to avoid the ill effects of these surmises, and secure His Person, was willing to do any thing to satisfy them, which I suppose was the occasion of sending Padre Vacher; alias the French Consul aboard, which the Captains of the Ships and Chief Turks extremely blame him for, and are inwardly exceedingly incensed and enraged against him, saying, it was a thing contrary to all reason, giving the French the greatest encouragement against them, which had it been done before they had acted any thing, might have been the more excusable, but now they had fired their Bombs, showed abundance of weakness and timerousness in them, and animated the Enemy to prosecute his designs with the greatest Severity, unless complied with on dishonourable and disadvantageous Terms.  
The 25th at Night, the French having fired a great many Bombs, but not with that success as formerly, aiming chiefly at the Mould, which occasioned most of them to fall into the water: One took place in a Tuniscan loaden with Wool, and sent her to the bottom; another fell into one of their Ships, broke through both her Decks, and burst in the Hold, shaking her severely, and two or three Houses broke down it the Town. It is most certain, these People never met with such a Chastisement as this, nothing they dread more. But what I thought almost impossible is▪ That after their high Looks▪ and seeming to slight the French so much, they should with so small a force be brought to send a Boat aboard the Admiral, which argues their desire to comply almost on any terms, which if the French prosecute as they have begun, I am apt to believe they will obtain.  
I am also credibly informed, that the Admiral sent word by Padre Vacher, That having received Advice of a Son born to the Dauphine of France, if the Governor would fire Three Guns in honour thereof, he would esteem it; and that the Governor next day ordered the said Guns to be fired, but the Order was immediately recalled by his Father-in-law, who is really the Governor, but that his Son takes it upon him by reason of his Father's Age, and Incapacity of Ruling so Rebellious and Headstrong a People, who are no longer satisfied with their Governors, than things go before the Wind, and succeed well, or that he serve for their turn; but upon the least adversity of Affairs, cut him off, as they have done others, not past one of fourteen having only died his natural Death.  
The first instant the Ketches which used to divertise us with their Fireworks, sailed with two Rere-admirals', and several other Ships, so that I believe the French are breaking up their Rendezvouz in this Place, and that they do think the Winter too near at hand to continue longer here; of which more by the next, God willing. I am in all things,  
SIR, Your Faithful Humble Servant.   

London, Printed by George Larkin. 1682.